Letter-box



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. S. JOHNSTON.

LETTER BOX.

No. 429,922. Patented June 10, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEG ARTHUR S. JOHNSTON, OF W'ATER'FORD, NEW YORK.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 429,922, dated June 10, 1890.

Application filed September 21, 1889. Serial No. 324,650. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR S. JOHNSTON, a resident of Waterford, in the county of Sara toga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, thatwill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in letter-boxes; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure l of the drawings is a front elevation of my improved box. Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the broken line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. dis aview in perspective of the oscillatory weighted lid.

A is the letter box, preferably made of metal, having in its front wall a porch or vestibule opening A. The vestibule is inclosedon all sides,'except the front, by a case projecting interiorly of the box. The case is composed of the vertical rear wall A and end walls A the floor A, and the ceiling A The lower portion of the vestibule is closed in front by the fixed wall A, which extends vertically from the floor a short distance upward, and then inward to the oscillatory lid or door B. The lid is provided on its lower part with thickened or weighted portions B and intermediately of the upper and the weighted parts with a pintle-socket 13*, adapted to receive the pintle B. The pintle is passed through such socket and suitable hearings in the vertical end walls of the vestibule case or frame and secured by nut B". The roof or ceiling of the vestibule is provided with an opening or letter-port A adapted to receive letters and small parcels. The weighted lid is so located upon its pintle that when oscillated its upper part will oscillate from the position in the letter-port shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 to that shown by the solid lines in the same figure. WVhen the lid is in the position shown by such solid lines the rear portion of the vestibule and the letterport are entirely closed, and when in the position shown by such dotted lines the upper part of the vestibule and the letter-port are open and adapted to receive letters which maybe easily pushed through the same into the box. Thelower part of the lid, being weighted and made heavier than the upper part, is so shaped that its normal position when left free to the influence of gravity is closed, as shown by solid lines in Fig. 2.

To deposit a letter or other small parcel in the box, it is only necessary to insert one end of the parcel in the upper part of the vestibuleagainst the lid, and as the latter, yieldin g to the slight pressure, recedes to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, push the parcel through the port A into the box, whereupon the lid at once falls to its closed position. It is obvious that only one hand is required to make such deposit, which is a matter of importance when the other hand is occupied, for example, in carrying an umbrella.

To facilitate the introduction of compressible packages-such as folded newspapers I provide the upper side of the letter-port with a short interiorly-projecting wall, which in connection with the open lid forms a conduit leading from the vestibule to the interior of the box, which conduit has a comparatively large exterior opening or mouth and a contracted interior or discharge opening, whereby a folded and wrapped newspaper normally thicker than the width of the portcan be easily forced through the contracted conduit into the box with one hand without danger of tearing the wrapper.

The lower inclosed portion A of the vestibule forms a chamber for the free oscillation of the weighted portion of the lid, the latter being protected from the contents of the box by the floor A and shield 5 In the same Way the rear vestibule-wall A protects the upper portion of the lid from the contents of the box, and at the same time affords a strong stop for the lid to prevent its being forced open beyond its oscillatory limit. It will be observed that the lid when forced open effectually closes the chamber formed in the rear portion of the vestibule; but lest by some walls to act as jambs or stops for the lid and aiford protection from the weather. The upper wall of the box is inclined to form a water-shed, and the front portion is extended to form the projecting shield O to aid in protecting the vestibule from rain and sleet. The lid is also provided with a storm-shield C, to protect the joint formed between its pintlesocket and the vestibule-wall A. The lower part of the box may be provided with any known form of door for removing the contents of the box.

I have shown a door D, hinged at its lower edge by the lugs l') and D and pintles or rivet D The upper edge is secured to the box by ahasp D" and staple D adapted to reoeive a padlock. The lower edge of the door is f urthersecu red when closed by the bead D on the bottom of the box proper, so that the door could not be opened when locked even if the hinges were broken.

The door-joints are protected by the rainshields D and D and B are beads or stops formed on the inside of the wall of the box at the end of the door-opening.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a letter-box case, of a vestibule-case having a letter-port leading interiorly of the box and a weight-controlled oscillatory port-lid pivoted to oscillate in such vestibule-case, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a letter-box case having an inwardly-converging conduit forming a letter-port leading into such box, of an oscillatory port-lid, which lid forms when open one of the converging walls of such conduit, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with aletter-box case, of a vestibule-case having a passage way through A and A and a passage-way through A and A, and a lid oscillatory from one passage-way to the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of September, 1889.

ARTHUR S. JOHNSTON.

\Vitnesses:

Geo. A. MosHER, CHAS. L. ALDEN. 

